New linkspage on shields

Karen Larsdatter · Post by **Karen Larsdatter** » Tue May 12, 2009 8:55 pm

Hi folks -

Just posted a new linkspage on shields -- well, specifically, on painted shields.
http://larsdatter.com/painted-shields.htm

I'm trying to keep it to actual shields, and not just decorative shield-shaped objects that were used as architectural gewgaws and suchlike. Figured it would be most useful for fighter-types who want to see how medieval shields were decorated, so they could do likewise with their own shields.

Wanted to check in & see -- do those categories make sense? Are there others that you can think of that I ought to include?

knitebee · Post by **knitebee** » Wed May 13, 2009 12:10 am

you so rock.

Sean Powell · Post by **Sean Powell** » Wed May 13, 2009 7:51 am

Have I mentioned how beautiful, intelegent, kind and all around WONDERFULL of a person you are? I've been scouring artwork for ecranche shields trying to find the correct size and height/width ratio's and then you go and post this. I could KISS (you if it wouldn't get me slaped by my wife.)

Sean

Sigifrith Hauknefr · Post by **Sigifrith Hauknefr** » Wed May 13, 2009 1:09 pm

very nice.... links to moas.atlantia.sca.org are broken.

Would love to see this expanded to non painted fighting (generally earlier) shields as well.

Bob H · Post by **Bob H** » Thu May 14, 2009 10:12 am

Thank you Karen! I don't know which I admire/envy most, your skill at finding these things, or your knack at presenting them in such a useful way.

If in the process of building this new category you run across pictures of the backs of shields, I hope you'll share them, too. Enarmes are a subject that is revisited here fairly often, and the way shields were strapped tells a lot about both the battlefield role of the user and about the way their shield was used.

Karen Larsdatter · Post by **Karen Larsdatter** » Thu May 14, 2009 12:41 pm

Thanks for your kind words, guys!

Sigifrith Hauknefr wrote:Would love to see this expanded to non painted fighting (generally earlier) shields as well.

For now, I was trying to keep this page limited in scope -- there's a lot of decorative shields (like the ones in the Elisabethkirche in Marburg), and quite a lot of Renaissance-era embossed parade shields -- I kind of figured that this style was what a lot of people would be looking to emulate, in terms of "how did they do that in the Middle Ages, and how can I do that on my own shield?"

I did run across some plain shields, though -- like http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/artwork/116301 and http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/artwork/116308 -- in addition to various bucklers and other similar small round shields. Will see if I can think of a good way to organize them, if I get enough of them together to turn into a linkspage.

Bob H wrote:If in the process of building this new category you run across pictures of the backs of shields, I hope you'll share them, too.

When I find pictures of the backs, I've added them, too. (Haven't found a whole lot, but there's some "back" links in the sections for pavises and Hungarian-style shields, IIRC.)

Tailoress · Post by **Tailoress** » Thu May 14, 2009 12:53 pm

Very nice, Karen, thank you! Would you be willing to put the word "heater" in with the War Shield header? That will make it clear what shape you have in that category, at least to SCA types who like to use the word "heater" for that particular shape.

-Tasha

Karen Larsdatter · Post by **Karen Larsdatter** » Thu May 14, 2009 1:40 pm

Tasha McG wrote:Very nice, Karen, thank you! Would you be willing to put the word "heater" in with the War Shield header? That will make it clear what shape you have in that category, at least to SCA types who like to use the word "heater" for that particular shape.

Sure, I'll make a note of that for the next round of changes to the page. ("Heater" is a modern term, but I think "ecranche" is, too -- I tried to note a couple of different terms for each style, since there's not a whole lot of agreement as to what makes one thing a "hand pavise" and its identical twin a "targe.")

Kaos · Post by **Kaos** » Thu May 14, 2009 2:34 pm

Karen, you.. rock.. SO.. hard!
I've been looking the whole week for examples of ecranches, and yet you come up with great obscure new images for me to study!

And the best thing of all, one of them is made out of 'linde'wood! (of which I have a great chunk lying over here.)

You've made me a very happy person! Thanks again for your efforts!

Amanda M · Post by **Amanda M** » Thu May 14, 2009 6:54 pm

You are the best.

A site like that has been sorely needed.

Karen Larsdatter · Post by **Karen Larsdatter** » Thu May 14, 2009 8:36 pm

Thanks!

As always ... if you can think of a topic I ought to add, let me know, and I'll start looking for stuff for it. (I've got a few topics in development, but they're not ready yet -- not enough links to warrant a page on their own, IMO.)

Amanda M · Post by **Amanda M** » Thu May 14, 2009 8:41 pm

Real information about banners. I haven't been able to track down a heck of a lot and even my good heraldry books don't have much on them.

Baron Alcyoneus · Post by **Baron Alcyoneus** » Thu May 14, 2009 10:16 pm

Karen Larsdatter wrote:"Heater" is a modern term, but I think "ecranche" is, too -- I tried to note a couple of different terms for each style, since there's not a whole lot of agreement as to what makes one thing a "hand pavise" and its identical twin a "targe.")

Since I'm at the library, I checked the OED. Heater is c1500 (fire iron and an iron heater). It is a handy shape for ironing, and like gothic arches, can be made with a compass and a straight-edge.

Karen Larsdatter · Post by **Karen Larsdatter** » Thu May 14, 2009 11:56 pm

Isabella E wrote:Real information about banners. I haven't been able to track down a heck of a lot and even my good heraldry books don't have much on them.

http://larsdatter.com/banners.htm

Amanda M · Post by **Amanda M** » Thu May 14, 2009 11:57 pm

lol. Ask and you shall receive! You are the best, even more.